Connected
by serendipity-smiles
Summary: The writers dropped the ball when the left out a crucial part of Carly's "Death" Storyline... What would Jason have done, how would he have reacted? Changing the story and writing it MY way... JARLY all the way!
1. Chapter 1

Second Chance

Chapter One

There were two defining moments in his life that he would've sworn had maxed-out his abnormally high tolerance to emotional pain. The first being losing Michael thanks to Robin's betrayal and the second being walking into Sonny's penthouse to see Carly coming down the stairs wearing nothing but one of Sonny's shirts. Both times had made him feel a pain so severe that it felt as if his heart was literally being ripped out of his chest- that probably would have actually hurt less. After surviving those traumatic events he was sure nothing could ever hurt him more.

He was wrong.

He should've known the moment he saw Luke Spencer standing in his kitchen that something really bad had happened. For a second he had foolishly allowed himself to pretend that Luke was there for a social visit- that nothing could possibly be wrong. He had gotten really good at denial the last couple of years.

Looking out the window of the plane, Jason replayed the events of the morning over and over in his head.

~ 4 hours earlier~

Coming in from his morning rounds at the casino, Jason was looking forward to an ice cold beer. Sure it was a little early in the day, but after the last couple sleepless nights and sense of uneasiness he had been battling, he thought he was entitled to a few beers.

Walking into straight to the kitchen he threw open the fridge, popped open a beer and took a long swig, savoring the feel of the cool liquid going down his throat.

L: "Never too early for alcohol, huh, Morgan?"

Somehow Jason managed to not choke on the beer he was in the process of swallowing as he recognized the familiar voice behind him. Getting control of himself, he slowly turned and shot the man a glare.

J: "Sneaking up on people like that can get you killed."

L: "Ain't happened yet."

Jason finished his beer quickly never taking his eyes of the other man. What in the hell was Luke Spencer doing in Puerto Rico?

Luke studied the younger man carefully. He just couldn't believe that Jason Morgan was ignorant in the drama that had been going down for the last six months. Was he really oblivious or did he just not care? Making a quick decision he tilted his head toward the living room and walked away with the unspoken message that Jason should follow.

Throwing the bottle into the trash Jason slowly followed behind Luke. Something about the man's appearance and demeanor set alarms off in his head. There was definitely something going on and Jason felt his earlier unease flare-up again. Luke looked down right exhausted, the fatigue and strain showing heavily on the normally care-free man's face.

J: "What's up, Luke? You aren't here to bullshit."

Luke walked over to the wet bar and picked up the whiskey decanter. Morgan could always be counted on to have the good stuff. Pouring a healthy amount into a tumbler, he kept hold of the decanter and walked back over to where Jason was standing.

L: "Drink this and then take a seat."

Without removing his eyes from Luke's face, Jason took the glass from him and drank it quickly in one swallow. The fiery liquid burned a trail down his throat. Taking a deep breath, he narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.

J: "Who is it? Sonny? Did something happen? Is it Michael?"

Jason swore that his heart was beating so hard that if felt as if it was about to bust its way out of his chest.

Luke took a healthy gulp from the decanter and shook his head. Damn it, Sonny. How come the kid was being kept in the dark?

Jason automatically went into denial mode.

J: "What's going on? Did something happen to Emily?"

Luke shook his head in the negative again and sighed, he knew that Jason was not purposely avoiding asking about her.

L: "Ask me. Ask me about her."

Jason felt the world start to spin and slowly shook his head to clear it.

J: "Carly's ok. She has to be. Sonny would have called me."

With a cynical laugh Luke interrupted, "Oh really, you think so, huh? Don't suppose he called and mentioned that he threw her and Michael out of the penthouse- or that he took the guards off of her and the kid? Did you even know that they have been divorced for about five months now?"

Jason felt an anger unlike anything he had ever felt toward Sonny rise in him. With an angry curse he threw the glass tumbler at the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. What in the hell was going on?

With each piece of information Luke shared with him, he noticed that Jason would turn a shade redder. He could tell by Jason's reaction that the answer to his questions was a big, fat NO.

Rubbing a hand over his face Jason thought back to the periodical phone calls he made to Sonny and how each one ended with the same statement- Michael and Carly are doing good. They're fine.

Taking the decanter out of Luke's hand he took another swallow and closed his eyes forcing the question he was having a hard time asking to cross his lips.

J: "Is Carly ok?"

Luke reached over and took the decanter back, taking another gulp. This wasn't going to be pretty.

L: "Two nights ago, she drove her car off the bluff- they pulled her car up this morning-."

Jason put a hand up to stop him, "Carly doesn't even have a car, she's afraid to drive."

Luke passed him the decanter and scratched his cheek.

L: "Apparently she got over her fear recently and bought a car to celebrate."

As he processed this information, Jason felt the strength gradually leaving his body. _She's not dead... she's not dead..._ He chanted over and over again in his head. Finally as if he had lost the fight to control his body, his legs gave out and he collapsed, sitting down hard on the coffee table behind him. His throat felt too dry and he found himself taking a sip from the decanter in his hand before he even realized it. Clearing his throat he tried to make himself talk.

J: "Is she- Is she-?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

Luke sat down and reached for the decanter again. It wouldn't do any good to get the kid drunk right now.

L: "They haven't found her body. It wasn't in the car. Normally I would say that the odds of this ending well weren't pretty, but this isn't a normal woman we are talking about. For one, the woman is Carly and she doesn't know how to quit and two, she's a Spencer and Spencer's thrive on beating the odds."

Jason seemed to zone out for a moment before he stood up and walked out of the room. Luke just watched him go, figuring the poor kid just needed a minute to process everything.

When Jason re-entered the room not even ten minutes later carrying a duffle bag and his leather jacket Luke looked up surprised.

Impatient to get going Jason looked down at him, "You got a plane ready or do I need to arrange it?"

L: "Ready to go when you are partner."

With a nod Jason walked out the door without even looking back.

"Mr. Morgan, we will be landing in thirty minutes, your ride will be waiting at the gate."

Jason opened his eyes and took a deep breath wondering what he would find once he got off the plane. Had they found her yet? Did they know anything? The unanswered questions bounced around in his head. Luke had tried to fill in all the blanks he had from the last couple months. With each obvious sign that Sonny had screwed Carly over once again the anger grew inside of him. How could he have left her with him? How could he have left his son with him? The only answer he had brought hurt and confusion with it- he simply had trusted Sonny to keep his word. Stupid mistake.

L: "You ready to face everyone?"

Jason considered his words carefully, "I am ready to bring Carly home. She's not dead. I would know if she was- I would feel it."

Luke thought about what Jason was saying. Funny, but that was what Barbara Jean kept saying every time someone even hinted at Carly being dead.

L: "I hope you're right... God, I hope you're right."

Jason didn't respond, but closed his eyes trying to picture Carly in his head. Her smile. Her eyes. How could someone so vibrant and full of energy be gone? It just wasn't possible- it couldn't be.

He couldn't live in a world without Carly in it- it was that simple.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys ROCK! Some of the history during this storyline is a little blurry to me because I was so focused on Carly, so I am going to tweak it a bit to fit my story : )

Connected

Chapter 2

The ride to the Brownstone was silent, both men lost in their own thoughts. For Luke it was worrying about his sister and for Jason it was making plans to find Carly, both men were afraid to find out what had happened in the last 6 hours- afraid that the news would be devastating.

Upon arriving, Laura let them know that Bobbie had taken Michael to the park to get some fresh air. If she was surprised by Jason's sudden appearance she hit it well.

Luke looked over at the other man, "I am going to hang here with Laura until Barbara Jean gets back. You sticking around?"

Jason scratched his cheek and considered his options, "I want to go see Michael, maybe check in with Benny and see what's going on with the search."

Luke nodded sadly, "Barbara Jean hasn't said anything to the kid. We all figured that it could wait until we knew one way or the other."

Jason sighed and headed back to where Johnny was waiting beside the car.

Ja: "You up to speed on the search? Can you tell me what's going on?"

Jo: "Sonny had guys searching around the crash site in a five mile radius and some of Jax's guys are spreading out trying to make sure nothing gets left out. PCPD just doesn't have the manpower to be effective."

Ja: "How did this even happen? Where were the guard that was supposed to stick with Carly? Did Sonny really pull you guys off her?"

Johnny looked down in shame. None of the guys in the "inner" circle had been happy when Sonny had given them the orders to stop watching over Carly. Between Johnny, Reynaldo, Joseph and Frankie , they managed to keep an eye out for her the best they could on the nights they had off, but Carly was a full-time job. Though they hadn't talked about it, it was obvious that each man was taking Carly's accident personal- it would have never happened on their watch. Trying to push down his anger at the situation, Johnny tried to answer the question the best he could.

Jo: "Once Sonny gave the order, our hands were tied, but a few of us tried to watch out for her- none of us were happy with the order, J. But, what could we do? Sonny had this kid, Zander Smith, start hanging around to keep an eye on her, but he wasn't with her when all this went down. He's beating himself up about it, but like I said- he's just a kid."

Jason considered everything that Johnny had said, "I appreciate you trying to keep her safe. I guess I am going to head over to the park and see Michael and Bobbie. I need to know what PCPD has in their reports- photos, paperwork, everything. Also, I want to know what our guys have turned up- any little detail could make a difference."

Jo: "You got it, J. What about Sonny?"

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, "For now I don't want to deal with his bullshit- I'll let him know I am in town, you guys just keep your ears and eyes open."

Agreeing to meet up at the Brownstone in a few hours, Jason continued on to the park. It was tearing him up inside that Sonny had once again broken a promise to him. If he had known what shit Sonny was going to pull, he would have never left his family with him. Not in a million years. He would have to face the man he considered a brother and friend eventually, but right now he just needed to feel close to Carly and that meant seeing Michael.

He approached the swing set area slowly, he couldn't believe how big the kid was now. He still remembered the tough, little runt he had fell in love with in the GH neonatal unit.

As if sensing his prescense , the young boy climbed off the swing and walked toward him.

Bobbie who had been sitting on the bench talking with Scott Baldwin nearby noticed Michael heading off in the other direction and made a move to call out to him to come back when his named died on her lips. She stood frozen as her grandson walked toward the man who had once been his father.

Jason stood silently watching Michael get closer. His eyes were busy taking in every detail, every change that had been made while he was gone. His red hair was lighter, but his eyes were the same- Carly's eyes.

Kneeling down he cleared his throat, "Hey Michael."

The little boy placed both hands on Jason's shoulders and looked at him intently, "I knew you'd come back. Mommy told me that you would."

Jason swallowed the lump in his throat his eyes stinging with unshed tears. What happened next surprised him more than anything else.

Without hesitation, Michael threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly, "I missed you, daddy!"

Jason closed his eyes and held the boy against him, his heart felt full enough to burst. How could he have ever walked away from this little boy. HIS son.

Bobbie pressed a trembling had against her lips. Scott placed a hand on her shoulder about to say something when his cell phone rang. Stepping away from Bobbie he answered it quietly.

Jason lifted Michael up in his arms and walked toward Bobbie allowed her to pull him into an awkward embrace. Neither one of them knew what to say at that moment.

Bobbie smiled weakly, "Jason, I am so glad you are here. Did Sonny-?"

Jason interrupted, "No, Luke brought me home."

Bobbie gave a watery chuckle, "I was wondering about his mysterious disappearance."

"Bobbie."

Both Jason and Bobbie turned toward Scott, their hearts sinking at the expression on his face.

S: "We need to head back to the penthouse. They have some news."

Bo: "Ok. Hey, Michael, let's go back to Grandma's and get some cookies."

M: "Daddy, are you going to come with us?"

Ja: "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere."

Michael seemed content with is answer and snuggled against Jason's chest.

Walking back to the Brownstone, Bobbie asked Jason where he was going to stay and they agreed that he could stay at Carly's apartment, that way he could be close to Michael.

The upset look on Luke's face confirmed that something bad had happened and Bobbie put off the moment she was dreading for a few minutes by taking him upstairs to let Leticia give him a bath.

Jason wanted to demand that he be told what was going on, but he knew that he would have to be patient. No one wanted to change the fragile bubble of hope that they had surrounded themselves in.

Bobbie returned to the room and took a deep breath, "Ok. What's wrong? What happened?"

Luke looked over at Scott with a sneer, "Apparently the PCPD is too busy to keep up a search and rescue effort. They have now changed it to a search and recovery mission."

"Hey, man, no one wants to believe..." Scott began to defend the PCPD.

"My daughter is NOT dead. I KNOW it, if they want to give up, fine. I am not going to give up. I will do whatever it takes to bring my little girl home." Bobbie yelled.

Jason just stood silently, trying to process everything. Carly had been missing over 3 days, no one would expect anything but the worst from here on out. No one except for the people that REALLY knew and loved Carly.

Walking away from the arguing group, Jason headed downstairs to Carly's apartment. He didn't want to listen to the doubts and fears being voiced in the room he left behind. He didn't stop walking until he reached Carly's bedroom. He could smell her perfume in the air and if he closed his eyes, he would swear that he could hear her laughter.

Throwing himself down on her bed, he pulled her pillow toward him and buried his face in it. It smelled like her, and that was what he wanted in that moment. To absorb everything he could, to lose himself in Carly's essence.

Before he knew it, he drifted into a restless sleep.

~~dream~~

Walking through the park he could hear her laughing. It brought a sense of peace and joy to his heart and he knew that if he could just reach her then everything would be ok.

"Carly?" He called out, hoping to get a sense of her direction.

"I'm over here Jase. Hurry up, you're late."

Jason kept searching for her, but he just couldn't reach her. Slowly the scene changed and he felt himself being pulled from sleep.

"Wake-up Jase. You're dreaming."

Slowly he opened his eyes and he felt his heart leap in relief, "Carly. Where have you been?"

She looked so beautiful as she laughed down at him sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm right here, silly. Just been waiting for you." She smiled pressing a hand tenderly to his face.

Sighing he allowed himself to lean into her touch, "I've missed you."

"I missed you to." She answered softly.

Blinking back the tears burning his eyes he choked out, "They told me you were dead."

Carly looked away sadly and then smiled down at him tenderly, "What do you believe?"

"I believe you are somewhere, waiting for me to find you." Jason fought back the lump building in his throat.

As if satisfied with his answer Carly pressed a kiss softly on his lip, "Follow your heart."

Suddenly she wasn't there anymore, but he could hear her voice in his head clearly, "Remember Jason, sometimes things just aren't what they appear to be."

~~ End dream~~

Jason sat up calling out for Carly to come back. Rubbing a hand over his face he realized that he had only been asleep for forty-five minutes. Thinking about his dream he sighed and whispered into the room.

"You are alive, Carly, I am going to find you."

Stretching he got up from the bed and headed back upstairs. It was time for him to get to work- he would find Carly no matter what it took and nobody better get in his way.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews! This story would be stuck in my head without you! I have forgotten a lot of the other storylines going on around this time so I am tweaking things to make my story work. Any tips and thoughts are welcome!

Connected

Chapter 3

Jason had just walked into Bobbie's living room as she ushered Justus through the door. Justus looked up at him in surprise and then walked over to shake his hand.

Ju: "Jason, I didn't know you were back. This makes things a lot easier."

Jason returned his attorney's handshake and looked him over carefully,

Ja: "What's going on?"

Ju: "Well, I came over to talk to Bobbie about Michael. It seems A.J.'s attorney has been sniffing around."

B: "Why? There is no way A.J. can take Michael away from Carly."

Ju: "I know that everyone is still hopeful that Carly will be found and brought home soon, but in the event that- well, that she is gone, A.J. can, and most likely will, attempt to regain custody."

Bobbie interrupted angrily, "My daughter is NOT dead and A.J. will get custody of Michael over my dead body."

Justus held up a hand to stop her angry tirade, "Jason being here is going to work in our favor. This saves us the time of having to search for him and we can take steps to make sure A.J. has no room to maneuver."

Jason scratched his cheek and looked over at Justus thoughtfully. He didn't know what he could do about Michael, he had given up custody of the little boy, so he had no rights here.

Ja: "What can I do to help? I will not allow A.J. to get his hands on Michael, I promised Carly- this is one promise that I intend to keep."

Motioning Bobbie and Jason over to the coach, Justus sat down and opened his briefcase. Sometimes things happened just when they needed to happen- in this case he was thinking that it was a good idea that Carly has walked into his office a month ago and update her will that made provisions for Michael's future. Had she somehow known that something bad was going to happen? Shaking away the thought, Justus looked up at Jason.

Ju: "A month ago Carly came to me and asked me to update her will. She hadn't thought of having one until all the Sorel business came up and then the divorce- well, let's just say that I made up her original will at the same time I was handling her divorce."

Jason looked sharply over to Justus. His own attorney had known about the divorce, but hadn't bothered to tell him? What in the hell was going on?

Justus saw Jason's look and shrugged apologetically, "I took Carly's case and she made me promise not to tell you anything. She wanted to do this on her own, in the last six months her independence was very important to her. Anyway, as I was saying she made some changes to her will in reference to her preferences for Michael's guardianship."

Bo: "I know that originally, I was supposed to be his guardian and I think Luke was mentioned, right?"

Ju: "Originally, that was the plan. However, her current will and testament names Jason as Michael's guardian. In the event that he is unable, or unwilling, to assume the position then guardianship then goes to you. She also chose me to handle his financial assets if Jason wasn't around."

Jason looked over at Bobbie and noticed that she didn't seemed too surprised by the change. He couldn't believe that after all this time, Carly would leave Michael with him. It was humbling how much trust and faith she seemed to still have in him.

Ja: "So this works in the event that- well, what happens if A.J. goes for custody temporarily. We don't know when Carly will be home or what condition she will be in. I will not allow A.J. anywhere near Michael."

Bobbie reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She knew that he couldn't bring himself to say that Carly might be dead. Hell, she couldn't even think it either. The mere thought was enough to paralyze her.

Justus smiled, "Well, Carly was determined to do one thing the last few times we met and that was to cement your place in Michael's life. If you will look over these documents you will see that she has made arrangements for you to legally adopt Michael, of course she would retain primary custody, but she wanted to make sure no one could cut you out of the boy's life. She also went on to arrange that Michael's last name be changed back to Morgan on the condition that his full name now be Michael Spencer Morgan. As you can see she has already signed the documents, we were planning to send these to you right before the accident occurred."

Jason just sat there staring at the documents he was holding in a state of shock. If he didn't know how much Carly loved him before, he would definitely know now. That she would do this for him was incredible. After everything that they had said and done to each other it was amazing that she would give him such a beautiful gift.

Bo: "Jason, if you sign this then you can keep A.J. away for good, not just until Carly comes home. Carly knew what she was doing and as much as I would love to raise Michael, she knew that if something happened to her then her little boy would need you."

Jason hesitantly took the pen from Justus and blew out a deep breath. Michael would be HIS son again. Legally as well as mentally, no one would be able to take Michael away from him ever again.

His hand trembled as he carefully signed the documents. For a moment he considered how Sonny might feel about this, but then he shrugged it off. Sonny did not matter, he had no say in this. As he looked down at the paper he had just signed he felt tears sting his eyes. In this moment he had been given a second chance to be a father to Michael and he wouldn't screw up this time. He only hoped that Carly would be home soon so that he could have a second chance with her as well.

Ju: "I will file this right away. Congratulations Jason, Michael is an amazing little boy."

Watching as Justus loaded up the documents and left, Jason turned to Bobbie.

Ja: "This doesn't change anything. Michael and I aren't going anywhere. We are going to be the family that Carly always wanted and when she gets home, I am going to make sure nothing happens to her and Michael ever again."

Bobbie smiled as a tear slowly slid down her cheek, "I know Jason. She'll come home and we'll all be here. She may have married Sonny and loved him in her own way, but you were always the one she built her family around- You and Michael. Speaking of Sonny, when are you going to let him know you are back?"

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'll call him now and get him to come over here, if that is ok. I want to put Michael to bed tonight."

Bo: "Oh, it just hit me- Michael Spencer Morgan..."

Her eyes filled with tears again, "That girl never ceases to amaze me."

Jason smiled and pulled out his cell phone. He knew that Sonny would be difficult to handle right now. He just hoped that they could get through the difficult part quickly so they could get down to finding Carly.

She wanted to open her eyes... she NEEDED to open her eyes...

Where was she? What did these people want with her?

She could hear voices every now and then when she managed to shake off the haze of whatever drugs they kept giving her.

Her eyes felt so heavy, her body wouldn't listen to her brain- whimpering in frustration she tried to stop the tears from spilling over.

"It's ok Ms. Spencer. You are safe. Just cooperate and everything will go smoothly. You are a valued guest here and we are taking good care of you, I promise."

Carly wanted to scream in frustration, but only managed to moan brokenly.

"Just relax, we are going to let some of the sedatives wear off so that we can run some tests. You will be able to eat and take a nice, hot shower. Yes, everything will be wonderful, you will see."

Rolling her head from side to side, one thought repeated over and over in her head.

_Jason, please save me..._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews! I am still up in the air about where Carly is and who is behind everything? Looking back at that time period- got any suggestions? I have a few ideas, but I can't seem to make up my mind : ) . As mentioned I am tweaking GH history a bit to make the story flow the way I want to : )

Connected

Chapter 4

As the fog weighing her down gradually lifted, Carly became aware of two things- one, she wasn't home, safe in her bedroom and two, she didn't know where in the hell she was.

Blinking rapidly, she tried to focus on the room around her. Calling it a room was a slight exaggeration- it was more like a cell- a cold, sterile room with no windows. Nothing about her surroundings gave her any clues as to way lurked behind the one door she had spotted at the opposite side of the room. Finally, she glanced down at herself and tried to assess her condition. Physically she felt dizzy and disconnected from everything around her, her body was weak and her limbs felt weighed down, refusing to cooperate. The soft cotton nightgown she wore was simple. Long, white and sleeveless, it had buttons down the front and no frills- definitely something she wouldn't have bought for herself.

Pushing the sheets back slowly, her brain finally registered the I.V. in her arm for the first time.

Was she in some kind of hospital?

Biting down hard on her lip she kept herself from making any noise as she yanked the needle out of her arm. With that accomplished she attempted to swing her legs off the bed- it took three tries before she felt the cold floor under her bare feet.

She refused to believe what she already knew to be true- the noise and weight made it more than obvious- she had been chained to the wall, a leg shackle clasped around one ankle and firmly secured to the wall next to the bed.

"What in the hell have you gotten yourself into?" She muttered to herself as she pushed the hair out of her face and managed to pull herself to her feet. Her heart froze when she realized that the chain only gave her enough room to maneuver over to the sink and toilet, however, it only brought her within three feet of the door.

Leaning toward the sink she froze as she heard the lock being turned and the door being opened.

"Ah, Ms. Spencer, how good it is too see you up and about."

Carly glared at the man standing in the doorway. He was dressed like a doctor, but he was a complete stranger to her and that made her all the more suspicious.

"Who the hell are you and where the hell am I?" She growled angrily, determined not to show any sign of her fear.

"My name is Dr. Fredrick Lakos. You, my dear, are my guest for the time being." He smiled coldly, placing his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.

"The hell I am!" Carly practically screamed, "You need to get this shackle of me and tell me where in the fuck I am... Do you know who I am? Do you realize the deep shit you are in?" She questioned, trying to make her way around the man slowly.

"Tsk. Tsk. No need to be so vulgar. I am fully aware of who you are- Caroline Benson Quartermaine Corinthos Spencer. Let me assure you that the threat of any retaliation or actions taken by your ex-husband do not cause me any concern what-so-ever." Dr. Lakos smiled his cold smile once again, stepping aside for two huge orderlies entered the room.

"Now I have a special treat for you- if you cooperate, this will be a pleasant surprise- if you don't-" The man shrugged and gave a rusty chuckle, "Well, we will enjoy helping you cooperate. I know you are going to fight, in fact, I am looking forward to it and intend to savor every minute of it. However, I have things to do today."

Giving a signal to his two goons, the guys approached her slowly, an evil gleam twinkling in their eyes.

As the bastard predicted, Carly fought. She fought with everything she had, kicking and biting at whatever piece of flesh and bone she could reach. She was only vaguely aware of the doctor pulling a syringe out of his pocket and before she could do anything to prevent it, the prick of the needle could be felt.

As the fog in her brain returned slowly, she felt herself losing any desire to fight- any desire to do anything really. As the last of her strength slipped away and tears began to roll down her face, she called for the one person that she needed to save her.

"Jason."

Jason sat up abruptly, his body covered in a heavy film of sweat. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he expected it to burst through at any moment.

Carly. She needed him. He had felt her fear, her pain and it was killing him. He felt so helpless.

Throwing himself back on the bed, he was glad that Michael had stayed over at Bobbie's last night. They had decided that it would be best for Michael to stay there in case he needed to leave in the middle of the night.

Rubbing a tired hand over his face, Jason tried to process everything that had happened the previous day and everything that needed to happen today.

To say that Sonny had been surprised to find out he was back in Port Charles was an understatement. Jason would have laughed, if it hadn't pissed him off so bad. When Sonny walked into the Brownstone their eyes had locked in silent combat. Sonny's challenging Jason to criticize his actions and Jason's daring Sonny to make up excuses as to why he was kept in the dark.

Both men knew that an ugly confrontation awaited them and the tension in the room grew until Sonny finally looked away uncomfortably.

"Michael ok?" Sonny asked reluctantly.

Jason gave him a nod, "My son is fine."

With those few words spoken, a silent agreement was made- the confrontation could wait. Fighting would not bring Carly home and it wouldn't be good for Michael to have two of the most important people in his life at each other's throats.

They had managed to set aside their personal feelings and discuss the search and information that had come in so far. Nothing had turned up so far and Sonny was running out of options. Jason threw out some suggestions and they agreed to meet the next morning to go over what could be done next.

A knock on the front door broke through Jason's concentration. He glanced at the clock and grimaced- it was only 7 a.m. Groaning he got out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt and prepared himself for his mystery visitor.

He couldn't hide his surprise to see Lucky Spencer standing on the other side of the door with two cups of coffee.

"Lucky?" Jason scratched his cheek in confusion. The younger man had been a friend of his at one time, but things had changed when Lucky had "come back from the dead" and they hadn't parted on the best of terms.

Lucky offered Jason a cup. "It's not poisoned and I didn't spit in it- word of a Spencer." He smiled hesitantly, "Got a second?"

Jason accepted the coffee gratefully and stood aside to let Lucky into the apartment.

Lucky glanced around the place curiously. He had never been in it before and looking around he could see Carly's imprint on the home. From the furniture, knick knacks and paintings- everything he saw screamed "Carly" to him.

Turning around he glanced at the other man, "Dad said you were back. How you doing?"

Swallowing the hot coffee, Jason shrugged, "Frustrated. Dealing with it."

Sitting down on the couch, he offered Lucky the other chair.

Sighing Lucky took a seat, "Uh, I don't know what to say, man. Look, I know with everything that's gone down between us that you might be tempted to throw this back in my face, but- well, I'm here if you need anything- to talk, whatever."

Jason narrowed his eyes and leaned forward on his knees, "I appreciate that, thanks."

For a moment both men lost themselves in their own thoughts and before he even realized what he was doing Jason found himself breaking the silence.

"I can feel her, man. I hear her voice and I know she's scared- she's somewhere scared and I can't do shit about it. It's making me fucking crazy." Jason said quietly, "You must think I am losing my mind."

"Nah, you aren't crazy- at least not any more than the rest of us. We'll find her, Jase." Lucky was about to say something else when a loud knock interrupted him.

Before Jason could stand up, Luke flew into the room. Both Lucky and Jason stood quickly, a sense of dread filling both of them.

Luke tried to find the right words to say, but he knew nothing could make the words he had to say any less devastating.

In a choking voice he glanced from his son to the man he had always considered family, "They found a body."


	5. Chapter 5

Connected

Chapter 5

Jason stood staring at the doors to the morgue. Sonny had stepped out, looking sick and devastated. He hadn't done anything except given them a nod and then walked away.

Luke had rushed in, but Jason stood frozen. His feet wouldn't move and his brain couldn't function. Everything about this is wrong. It wasn't her- it wasn't- Sonny had to be wrong. He had seen plenty of dead bodies over the years- but, something about knowing that it could be her dead body made him want to turn and run.

It wasn't supposed to end like this. This wasn't how this was supposed to end. She should have lived to see Michael graduate from college, get married, and have kids... She shouldn't be gone.

Luke stepped out to look at him, "It's ok if you can't go in there. Sonny made a positive ID- I'm not too sure, but the guy was married to her. They are going to run a DNA test anyway, just in case."

Brushing past Luke, Jason forced himself to enter the gloomy room. Seeing the black body bag sitting on the table, he felt his knees begin to shake. This wasn't real- it wasn't right. She would never leave him and Michael like this.

Slowly, he moved to the stool that was placed next to the table. Sitting down he rationalized with himself- if Sonny says that it's her, then it has to be her. He would know, right?

But, if she was gone, why couldn't he feel it? Why hadn't he felt it the moment she had slipped away from this world? What was he going to do now?

Carly tried to focus. The hot shower that she had been thrown in had woke her up a little, but her mind and body still weren't working quite right. Thankfully, a female nurse had stood waiting in the bathroom to "help" her undress and get in the shower- she was sure she would have ended up on the ground if she hadn't been there.

Now she was being escorted back to her room. The chatty nurse had filled her head with too much information to process. She had cheerfully bounced from topic to topic. It had made Carly's head feel like it was going to explode.

Somewhere in all the information though, Carly knew there was something that would help her figure out why she was imprisoned and who was behind it. It was there, waiting for her to put the information together.

Frowning she walked back into her room to see a table had been set up, apparently it was meal time. Lunch or dinner she wasn't sure- she hadn't seen the sun in days and hadn't been anywhere near a clock or watch for just as long.

She hazily wondered what Michael was doing right now. Where would he be? With Sonny or Bobbie? Had anyone even called Jason to tell him what had happened? Maybe Michael was with him, Jason would be able to keep Michael from getting too scared.

"Ms. Spencer, did you enjoy your shower?"

Turning slowly she glared, "It was peachy."

"They are bringing in your dinner. I hope you enjoy it, the cook made it special for you- lasagna, green salad and garlic bread." Dr. Lakos smiled in his cold manner as he appraised her carefully.

"Not hungry, but thanks." Carly sat down on her bed and pulled her legs up to her chest.

"Now, it's not healthy for you to abstain from eating." Pulling out a envelope from the pocket in his lab coat, the doctor smirked, "Perhaps, this will motivate you. I am holding pictures that you might want to see- pictures that might entice your appetite."

Carly narrowed her eyes, "What kind of pictures?"

The doctor had made good his promise. As soon as her nearly empty plate had been carried away, he had handed her the envelope.

Inside she found a picture of Jason and Michael locked in a hug. It had to be recent, she thought in confusion. Jason hadn't taken a picture with Michael in years. Did this mean that Jason was home? Was he even now looking for her?

"I see you are enjoying your surprise. Now, it is time for your vitamins."

Looking up Carly frowned, "Vitamins?"

The Thug 1 and Thug 2, as Carly decided to call them, stepped back into the room.

Carly flinched, she didn't think she was going to like this at all.

Dr. Lakos pulled out three syringes and smiled evilly, "We just want to make sure you maintain excellent health while you are here."

Carly tried to move away, but where could she go. Before too long she could feel the effects of some type of sedative coming over her.

Muttering she fell back on to the bed, "Vitamins my ass..."

As her eyes closed she could hear the nurse's voice in her head, "I met your cousin, Lucky Spencer, while he was staying here. Such a interesting young man. I hope he has been doing well..."

Lucky... Lucky had stayed here... when? why?

The answers never came as she surrendered to the darkness.

"Carly?" Jason called into the darkness. He could feel her close by... he knew she was there.

The silence was broken by the softest whisper, "Jase?"

Turning toward her voice he yelled, "I'm coming Carly... talk to me... help me find you."

Again her voice came softly out of the darkness, "Lucky."

"No... no it's Jason." Damn it, where was her voice coming from. Why did she think he was Lucky?

"Lucky." Again the voice called.

"Carly- please, you have to help me. I can't do this alone. I need you." Jason fell to his knees in despair.

"I'm with you, always. Follow your heart. Follow Lucky."

Jason sat up panting desperately for air. By some freak miracle he had fallen asleep leaning against the wall of the morgue. He had been unable to make himself leave her there alone. If it was her... he hadn't opened the body bag, hadn't even wanted to attempt it. Part of him still held out hope that there was a mistake and that the DNA test would show that the body lying there wasn't Carly.

Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he stood up and stretched. The dream he had floated in and out of his consciousness.

What was she trying to tell him? Would it be crazy to think that she was trying to tell him something?

Everyone would think he had lost it if he told them about his dreams, so who could he talk to about it?

Suddenly he knew exactly who to call, pulling out his phone he stepped out into the hallway, "Hey... no, still at GH... the morgue... can you meet me here? I-I don't want to leave her... thanks."

Hanging up he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, he hoped that calling Lucky wouldn't be a mistake.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews- they feed the muse and the muse is hungry! Smooches!

Connected

Chapter 6

Lucky sat on the floor next to Jason considering everything the other man had just said. It was kind of creepy sitting in the hallway just outside the morgue, but Jason refused to leave- at least until the DNA test results came back.

"Man, I don't know what to say. I mean, I know you want to believe that Carly is still out there, but- damn , Jason. Sometimes dreams are just dreams- I mean, you said she called my name and you gotta know that we weren't all that close and I would be the last person she would all out to."

Jason blew out a deep breath, "That's just it Lucky. If it was just the dreams I wouldn't- I mean, there's the feelings, too. It's like I'm right there with her going through whatever she is and-. I didn't feel it, Lucky, I didn't feel her-. I gotta believe that I would've known if she was gone."

Luke walked up to the pair with a sad smile, "We doing a candle light vigil in here?"

Looking up at the older man, Jason squinted in the poor lighting, "How's Bobbie doing? Did you check on Michael?"

Luke offered Jason his hand and pulled him up, "Bobbie's holding out hope that the DNA test will prove that the body in there isn't Carly. She's pretty much drowning in denial. Uh, Michael was finishing up his lunch and then going down for a nap , I think."

After Jason stood up, he pulled Lucky to his feet, "I'm with Bobbie on this, Luke. That's not Carly in there."

Shooting his son a concerned glance he put a hand on Jason's shoulder, "I want to believe it to man, I do. But, you have to prepare yourself. Don't let this-"

"It. Isn't. Her." Jason bit out desperately.

Lucky shook his head at his father."You hold on to that, Jase. If your heart and gut tell you that- then you hold on to that."

Jason looked back toward the morgue door with a frown. He didn't know what to say, there was no way he could explain what he was feeling. He just knew that the moment he gave up on Carly that there would be no going back.

Sighing Luke, rubbed a hand over his face, "Why don't you go, get yourself something to eat? Maybe go spend some time with your son."

Shaking his head Jason choked out, "I can't- She didn't like being alone. If-"

Understanding what the younger man was saying Luke offered, "I'll stay here with her until you get back, ok?"

Jason agreed reluctantly and he and Lucky took off for Kelly's.

Staring after them, Luke shook his head, "Poor kid."

Carly woke up gasping, sweat dripping down her body. Getting off the bed, she paced from the sink back to the bed. Was she losing her ever-loving mind? Stavros Cassadine aka Lucien Caine was dead, wasn't he?

Shaking her head, she nibbled on her lip, it had to be her imagination. She hadn't seen him standing over her, watching her while she slept- had she?

A shiver shook her slender form. She knew that a nightmare had woke her, but now that she was fully awake, she couldn't remember what had scared her.

Sitting on the bed and pulling her legs to her chest, Carly closed her eyes and tried to remember. Maybe if she could re-call what had scared her, then she wouldn't dream about it again. Bitterly she laughed to herself- of course, her entire situation gave her enough material for nightmares.

Gasping it hit her. She had been standing in some room and staring down at a dead body- everyone thought she was dead. She had tried to scream that it wasn't her and they hadn't heard her. It was the part at the end that sent her pulse raising and fear rushing through her body.

It was Jason. Jason believed that she was dead. He looked so completely broken that her heart ached for him- this dream Jason was barely holding on.

Carly tried to call to him, but he just looked at the body, not hearing her screams. Then Lucky walked into the room. Reaching out to him, she grabbed his arm- amazed that she could touch him.

_~dream conversation~_

_"Lucky, I'm alive..." she whispered brokenly._

_"No, Caroline. You're not." He shook his head in denial._

_"Please Lucky, you gotta remember, you gotta tell Jason where I am... I can't, but you can... you just have to remember." Carly pleaded desperately._

_"I can't. I won't go back there. I won't." Lucky pulled his arm out of her grasp and moved away from her angrily._

_"Please. I'm alive... please."_

Was her dream telling her to give up? Would she be left her as some sort of prisoner caught in Helena's web?

Wiping a tear off her check, Carly closed her eyes tightly whispering, "I'm alive."

Jason sat in the dark- he wanted to hide from the world- to sleep until the nightmare he was living was over.

Now he was reduced to hiding in Carly's bedroom. How sad was that one of New York's deadliest hit-men was huddled in the dark clutching the pillow of the woman he loved hoping to lose himself in her scent?

Closing his eyes he prayed for his pain to stop.

~~ that afternoon~~

As Jason he was hit by a sense of dread, he didn't want to go back and resume his vigil, but he didn't know where else to go.

Lucky pulled him to a stop when he noticed his father and a doctor he didn't recognize walking toward them.

Jason shook his head, "It's too soon for the DNA test results."

The doctor looked everywhere but at the angry young man, "I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan. The DNA test shows that the remains of the young lady in the morgue are a match for-"

Grabbing the doctor by the collar of his lab coat, Jason slammed him into the wall and put his gun to the man's head.

Luke and Lucky both stood frozen, they hadn't been prepared for Jason's quick maneuver.

"You lie." Jason bit out angrily.

"Jason, I don't want to hear this either, but come on son, you gotta let the doc go, " Luke spoke calmly hoping to break through Jason's haze of rage.

Never taking his eyes of his prisoner, Jason repeated, "He's lying. Who paid you? Who fixed the test?"

"No... no one... Mr. Morgan- I- I ran the results twice..." The doctor gasped.

Jason slammed him against the wall again before letting him fall to the ground, "They're wrong."

Putting his gun back in his jacket, Jason turned and began to walk away.

"Jason!" Lucky yelled, "I'm sorry, man."

"SHE's NOT DEAD!" Jason yelled back over his shoulder, never breaking his stride.

Lucky turned to face his dad, "What are we going to do now?"

Luke sighed, "Well, Cowboy, I gotta go tell my baby sister that her daughter is dead..."

Groaning Jason pulled her pillow closer to his chest, he wasn't crazy. He. Was. Not. Crazy.

He had been laying here for hours, ignoring the ringing of his phone and the pounding on the door. He didn't want to listen to their bullshit. They wanted to make him believe that the one person who made his life complete- who made him sane- was gone. They were wrong- they had to be.

Soon the sun would be rising and he would have to face them, listening to them mourn her... and he didn't think he would make it through the day without breaking completely.

A knock on the bedroom door, broke through his anguish, quickly pulling his gun, he went into a defensive mode.

Lucky stood in the doorway with his hands raised in surrender, "I believe you."


	7. Chapter 7

Connected

Chapter 7

"Jesus! Lucky, you do realize that I could have killed you?" Jason sighed in frustration setting his gun down.

"You do realize that people are worried about you?" Lucky retorted. "Besides I called and knocked."

Jason groaned and crawled out of the bed, "I swear between you and Luke- do you guys have a death wish or something? Sneaking up on me isn't smart. Especially right now."

Lucky shrugged, "Do what you gotta do man."

Walking past him, Jason went into the living room, "So, you said you believe me? Believe me about what?"

Looking around nervously, Lucky took a deep breath, "I think you are right. I think Carly is alive."

Slumping, Jason frowned, "Why now? The body, the DNA test-"

"I had a dream about her." Lucky interrupted, "I had a dream about her and she told me she was alive."

Laughing, he stared at the other man in frustration, "Oh great. So my psychosis has rubbed off on you?"

"No. No, I don't think you're crazy, man. I mean, it was so real. I think she's alive and she's trying to tell us." Lucky sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Maybe it's crazy. Maybe we are crazy. But, would you rather accept her being dead and gone or hang on to the slim chance that she's out there waiting for you to bring her home?"

Without hesitation, Jason answered, "You know I want to believe I can bring her home. So, what do we do now?"

Lucky smirked, "Now we go talk to dad and get some answers on our own."

Groaning, Carly blinked to clear the fog from her head. She didn't know how long she had been out of it, but her head was still spinning enough to keep her disoriented.

"Hello, Caroline. I hope the good doctor has been treating you well."

Carly's eyes popped open and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, "You bitch! My uncle is going to put a stake in your black heart!"

Helena laughed, "Oh, I am not afraid of Luke Spencer. He will be too busy helping his precious sister to bury her daughter... Oh, I forgot! You're dead. It's official."

Laughing she threw the newspaper down on the bed in front of her prisoner. Carly scanned the headline in disbelief. "**Mob Moll Dead. DNA Test Confirms Death of Local Club Owner**."

Carly screamed in frustration, "You are never going to get away with this. Jason will find me and when he does he's going to kill you."

"Jason? Oh, you mean Jason Morgan- that thug? He's pretty destroyed by your death I've heard. Locked himself in your apartment and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Of course, my sources have confirmed that he sure was quick to adopt your son... makes you wonder how upset he really is, doesn't it?" Helena chuckled evilly.

"So what? I'm dead? You gonna program me to kill Luke like you tried to do Lucky?" Carly snarled, pushing herself off the bed.

"Oh no, my dear. You see, my son has taken an interest in you. I have something special planned for you." Smiling Helena looked around the room, "This room is so- drab. Oh well, hopefully, it's temporary."

"Why would Stefan take an interest in me? We have barely even said two words to each other." Carly asked in confusion.

"No that one. I am talking about my pride and joy- Stavros. It's really very simple, what Stavros wants- Stavros gets. And my dear, he wants you. Normally, I would just kill you, my son could do so much better than a mere peasant. But, then I looked into your background. I was delighted to find that your father was a good friend of mine- a blue-blood American. Deliciously wicked." Helena turned and walked to the door after dropping that bomb.

" Are you smoking crack? Stavros wants me- that's just too fucking bad. I am not a toy you can just hand over to your son to keep him happy. And my father? You must be delusional cause no one knows who my father is." Carly argued angrily, crossing her shaky arms over her chest in a defensive gesture.

"I'm not 'no one'- you wouldn't believe the things I can find out. And I really don't consider you a toy- you are going to serve a much higher purpose than just being a play thing." She laughed closing the door behind her.

Carly screamed in frustration, "If Jason or Luke doesn't kill you, I WILL!"

"Let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to accept that my crazy niece is dead, but go behind my sister's back and run another DNA test? Do I need to tell you how crazy this is?" Luke laughed as he stared at his son and Jason.

"Look, Luke. I know it's a long shot, but you have always told me that I need to trust my gut. My gut says something isn't right and that the body in that morgue isn't Carly." Jason argued, running a tired hand over his face.

Lucky sat there quietly, lost in his own thoughts. His mind kept returning to one part of his dream, a part that he barely remembered and honestly didn't want to remember. Every time he tried to focus on it a sense of fear and dread rolled over him.

"So what? Cowboy? You backing this scheme?" Luke asked, scratching his cheek.

Lucky nodded his head, "Yeah. I am. Uh, I gotta go and think about some shit and I'll be back."

With that said he stood up and excited the Brownstone living room, leaving a puzzled Jason and Luke staring after him.

Sighing Luke stood up, "Alright. We'll do this. But, if those test results show that Caroline is dead, then you need to let it go. Cause hanging on to this hope is not good for you, kid."

Jason sat back on the couch and closed his eyes in frustration, "I know I'm right. I don't expect you to understand, but I can feel her."

Placing a hand over his heart, Jason sat up and looked at Luke intently, "I can feel her here and she's scared and lost and waiting for me to find her. I can't give up, I won't."

Sighing Luke sat down heavily next to Jason. He knew that arguing with him wouldn't change anything.

"I do understand. I felt that way after we thought Lucky was gone. You hang on to that- do what you gotta do." Nodding his head, Luke stood up and headed to the guest room that he had been sleeping in.

Blowing out a deep breath, Jason headed up to the room where Michael was sleeping. Carefully, he poked his head through the door and went in. Michael was curled up on the bed, lost in the sleep of the innocent.

Feeling himself choke on emotion, Jason crawled onto the bed beside his son, "I'm gonna bring her home, Michael. I promise."

Laying on his side, Jason watched his son sleep until his own exhaustion claimed him.


End file.
